Process of making explosives.



NITED Sm TEs truss murmur PATENT CFFICE.

PRocEss OF MAKlNG IEXIPLOSIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,116, datedSeptember 24, 1901'. application filed February 3, 1900. Serial No.3,823- (Ho specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern): I,

Be it known that I, ADAM CHARLES GI ARU, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in or Relating to the Manufacture of Explosive Substances,(for which application for'patent' has been made in England under No.213, dated January 3, 1900, and .in France, datedDecember 27, 1899,) ofwhich the following isa specification.

,The present in vent-ion relates tolhe use of alkaline picrates,alkaline earth picrates, and metallic picrates prepared in oil inthemanufacture of'explosive substances.

It is well known that the-picrates constitute a class of explosive whichare not characterized by great power, but which, however, are verysensitive to shock and readily ignite. They. are therefore not employedalone, partly because they are very dangerous and partlyon account oftheir high price considering their power. v Their application, however,is of considerable importance, inasmuch as they allow, when employed iiismall proportions in the composition of certain explosives, of varyingthe properties of such explosives. They increasethe explosion-wave,giving to the explosive great rapidity, and

contribute to obtaining the maximum useful eifect, acting as fulminateswithin the mass.

The oil mixture of the picrates may beapplied to pow alkaline nitrate,chlorate, or rchlor%es, as well as to explosives liaving--basnitroglycerin or guncotton.

To manufacture explosives of alkaline chlorates, perchlorates, ornitrates, the necessary quantity of picrate intended to be employed inthe explosive should be prepared in oil. To this mass is then'addedeither the nitrated' derivative or the nitrogen derivative to bedissolved in the oil, and finally when the solution has been effected byheat the alkaline chlorate,.perchlorate, or nitrate, referred to.

in several of the claims as chlorate, which term embraces equivalentsubstances, is in corporated in-a state of powder. Thus, for example, achlorate explosive may be composed as follows: perchlorate of potassium,

seventy-five part-s; nitronaphthalene, four- .teen'parts; picratcofpotassium, fou r farina may be added for the parts; ricinic or castoroil, seven parts.

StARLH ROOM he process is carried out by first weighing seventykilograms of the oil, to which is added thirty two kilograms of picricacid; The mixture is then thoroughly stirred to render it homogeneous.Then eight kilograms of hy' drate of potassium are added in the form ofa solution at Baum, after which the mixture is'again stirred .to effectthe combina- 1 tion, it necessary or desirable at'a slightheat. It willbe found that the reaction is termi natt ed'when the mixture shows anabsolutely. neutral reaction. This result being obtained,

the nitronaphthalene is added, dissolving it in the oil by heating to.about or centigrade, after which the powdered perchlo-- rate isincorporated. I

The following are some examples of pow-,

ployed Chlorate of, potassium, eighty partsi nitronaphthalene, twelveparts; picrate of potas sium, two parts: ricinic' or castor oil, sixparts,

Perchlorate of ammonium, eighty parts; uitronaphthalene, eleven parts;picrate of potassium, three parts; ricinic or castor oil, six parts.

Nitrite of potassium, seventynine parts; nitronaphthalene, eleven parts;picrate of potassium, four parts; ricinic or oastor oil,

six parts.

These mixturesof oil and picrate may be used 'either directly in a hotor cold state by adding to them simply chlorate or perchlorate ornitrate in a powdered state. A little wood-charcoal or starch-charcoalor fecula or purpose of thickening the oil solution.

Chlorate of potassium, eighty parts; picra'te of potassium, four parts;ricinic or castor oil, ten parts; wood-charcoal, six parts.

Perchlorate of potassium, seventy five parts; picrate of potassium",five parts; ricihic or castor oil, nine parts; wood-charcoal, elevenparts.

Perchlorate of ammoni um, eightyparts; picrate of potassium, four partsoil, ten parts; charcoal, six parts.

Nitrate'of potassium, seventy-eight parts;

picrate of patassium, five parts; oil, nin

parts; wood-charcoal, eigh -parts.

Perchlorate'of ammonium, forty-five part-s nitrite of potassium,thirty-five parts; picrate of potassium, five parts; nitronaphthalene,nine parts; oil, six parts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire v to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The process of making explosives, consisting in forming a picrate ina suitable oil and-adding a chlorate. 4

'3. The process of making explosives consisting in forming picrate ofpotassium in a suitable oil and adding perchlorate of potassium.

4-. The process of making explosives consisting in forming picrate ofpotassium in a suitable oil and adding nitronaphthalene and perchlorateof potassium.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- ADAM CHARLES GIRARD.

Witnesses: 4

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, EMILE LEOBET.

